The prayer card above was saved by my grandfather, Joseph Peter Mirota (1882-1961). Now I’m the one saving it. It was tucked inside his prayer book – and yes, I’m saving that, too. I enjoy knowing that these items I have, were things my grandfather loved and cherished. When I look at the prayer card, I think how he was only twenty years old when he made a pilgrimage to a very holy Roman Catholic site in Poland, called Kalwaria Zebrsydowska.

The Sanctuary of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is about 40 kilometers south of the city of Krakow, and east of Joseph’s hometown of Pławna, Galicia, Poland. The year he visited the shrine, 1902, was the 300th anniversary of the founding. Here below is the other side of the prayer card.

My grandfather wrote his name on the front of his prayer book. It is only 2 and 1/2 inches wide by 4 inches. The clasp broke a long time ago. I don’t know if it was sent to him from Europe, or if he bought it in the USA. It was printed in 1922 in Czechoslovakia. My grandfather arrived at Ellis Island, New York in November of 1906.

Inside there is still a clipping from an inspirational prayer that he loved enough to cut out and keep. I can remember him reading Polish newspapers and magazines at home.

My family has saved Joseph’s photograph from when he was a young man, conscripted in the Austrian-administered part of the Austria-Hungary military regime. He served one term of conscription, and thought he was finished. Then word came back that he was going to have to serve another term. At that point he made plans to go to an unknown place called Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. This action completely changed the course of his life. There he met and married Zofia Szczerba in 1909. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Josef Mirota (1882-1961). He was the son of Jacob Mirota and Margaretha Tabis, born in Pławna, Poland.

Six word Saturday is a blogging prompt suggested by Cate, at Show My Face. Take a look when you have some time. I enjoy saving things my family cherished. How about you?